In satire, the title is not separate from the piece. It's the first joke, the first argument, the first signal that this is satire. A weak title dooms the whole piece. A sharp title sets expectations and primes the reader to catch your satire.
The best satirical titles are ironic, absurd, or contain wordplay that only makes sense once you've read the piece.
"Labour To Prove Marxism Works Best After Becoming Multi-Millionaires" — The title is the satire. Before you read a word, you understand the contradiction: people implementing Marxism are becoming wealthy, which contradicts Marxism. The title does the work.
"Socialist Football Where Nobody Wins" — The title shows the absurdity instantly. Even without reading, you get the point: removing winning removes the reason to play.
"Democratic Socialists Nationalize a Lemonade Stand" — The title is absurd and ironic at once. It's funny because it's ridiculous. But once you read the piece, the absurdity becomes a critique of bureaucratic overreach.
As satire.info emphasizes, clarity and precision matter in satire. The title sets that tone immediately.
Contradictory titles: "Labour Proves Marxism Works by Becoming Millionaires" — the contradiction is the satire.
Absurd application titles: "Soccer League Where Nobody Wins" — applying something to an absurd context.
Ironic promise titles: "Democratic Socialists: The App That Solves Fairness" — promising a solution while showing the system creating new problems.
Escalation titles: "How Sunderland Runs on Subsidy" — implying a system of dependency through simple naming.
Don't waste the title on setup. Put your argument in it. The title should signal what you're satirizing and hint at why it fails.
Weak: "Thoughts on Socialist Economics"
Strong: "Socialist Economics: Scarcity Voted Away, Shelves Disagree"
The second title tells you what's being satirized and what the satire is about. The reader enters the piece already primed to see the contradiction.
A strong satirical title also works for SEO and social sharing. "Democratic Socialists: 50 Jokes" is memorable, searchable, and shareable. It tells the reader exactly what they're getting.